3/7/18 ~ Oakledge Park

This past Tuesday was an exceptionally nice day in Burlington, and therefore I took advantage of the afternoon and visited Oakledge Park with my roommate to bird watch and enjoy the sunset. We arrived at the park at 4:00 pm and immediately noticed two Turkey Vultures circling near the parking entrance. Perhaps there was roadkill or another decomposing animal nearby. Although not specifically sought after, a Black-capped Chickadee bouncily flew past my roommate and I as we walked down to the water. There were multiple dogs visiting the lake with their owners, and therefore the chances of bird spotting were lowered. Using binoculars, I spotted multiple Common Goldeneyes glide into the water close to shore. I was not able to determine gender of the members of the flock, but they were enjoying the wide-open water and occasionally diving for food. Seagulls are a common sight to see at the waterfront, but due to our weekly bird quiz I was able to distinguish the presence of Ring-billed Gulls rather than Herring Gulls. These gulls had a distinct black marking on their bright yellow beak, and they also had darker yellow legs compared to the pale leg color of the Herring Gull. We finished the afternoon watching and photographing the colorful sunset across Lake Champlain. During this time, a pair of American Crows briefly perched on a tree close to us, and performed some cackling vocalizations before flying back into the sky. A very beautiful afternoon, to spot some stunning bird species.

Although we are approaching the upcoming Spring months, avian species are still using behavioral adaptations to survive in colder temperatures. The Black-capped Chickadee that was spotted clearly had extra winter weight that he was carrying around for energy storage. Another behavioral adaptation that I visually observed was the fluffing of feathers by the American Crow pair. The observation site that I chose did not provide many dead snags. I spent my time near the shore of the cliffs and did not venture further inland, where there is typically more forest cover. However, many avian species depends on dead snags for a safe habitat: owls, woodpeckers, and jays. Other species, such as hawks and eagles, use these snags strictly for hunting and perching positions.

Posted on March 7, 2018 05:52 PM by tzumbo